Raising Boys in a post Christian world

Menu

Month: December 2013

This movie although entertaining on one level deals with a mature theme of a hostile takeover of the U.S.. Something that seemed far fetched 10 years ago is a freighting possibility (as written in 2013). A very real scenario of a Chinese/Russian take over using the child states of North Korea and Mexico or rather the Marxist throughout Central and South America to do their bidding to hold certain sections looms ever more as we cut national defense. This subject and its portrayal is too intense for younger children and deserves to be rated R in the truest sense. The viciousness of the North Koreans was severely understated with some accurately stated fight scenes thrown in to the mix. This is not for the feint of heart to watch but does stand as a warning if we don’t correct our path.

Before a Bridge Two Far this docudrama was made using using not British actors but the actual men who served and fought during this campaign. It was, depending on who you talk with, an ambitious campaign or another of Monty’s Follies. Through my study on world war 2 and leadership I have come to the conclusion that General Montgomery may have been England’s top field marshal (general in the US Army) but by all accounts he was also an arrogant buffoon. The desire by Montgomery for glory combined with his arrogant attitude caused many needles deaths. This is the story of operation Market Garden, an example of Monty’s over reaching tactics and putting lives needlessly at risk. This story is told by those who participated in the campaign, not pretend actors. You will see the suffering these brave men endured, who knowingly jumped and glided into this situation fully realizing the “long shot” odds of success. This is a great movie to discuss the ramifications of your actions and how they can harm others. To be fair you will see a review of Patton, who many saw as arrogant, in a positive light. You will have to see my review to understand why.. BE WARNED this movie coding is in PALand should run fine on a computer blue ray drive, but not on your home entertainment system..

This is a great book to use in history for a junior high middle school child. It gives a good flavor for the Korean war without going into great depth which is beyond the students ability to comprehend. I served as an Army Pilot in 1983 in Korea, of the books I have consumed about this conflict Robert Leckie is the definitive author on the subject. Again the 20th century history cannot be fully understood in a vacuum. Sadly books seem to come in 2 popular flavors, those that fondly look on the duplicitous and vile acts of the communists and those that wax truthful. The latter are harder to find.-

This is a great book to use in history for a junior high middle school child. It gives a good flavor for the Korean war without going into great depth which is beyond the students ability to comprehend. I served as an Army Pilot in 1983 in Korea, of the books I have consumed about this conflict Robert Leckie is the definitive author on the subject. Again the 20th century history cannot be fully understood in a vacuum. Sadly books seem to come in 2 popular flavors, those that fondly look on the duplicitous and vile acts of the communists and those that wax truthful. The latter are harder to find.-

The best book on the Korean War I have yet read. Having served as an Army pilot in Korea in 1983, I came to appreciate the complexities of the war and its aftermath. A truer picture of the two main American players, General Douglas MacArthur and Harry Truman can not be found anywhere. Considering you get this picture from their own words, in the form of message traffic between the two, is extraordinary. Beware if you liked Harry Truman, his own words might cause you to pause.

The conflict cannot be fully understood in a vacuum, I recommend that his book be included in other books I have reviewed from the same era.

This book is recommended for high school aged students grade 11 and 12. Please find my post on Robert Leckie’s early work for younger students

A unique Pocket Watch, a great gift for young men who may become a bit nostalgic minded. In this day and age of smart everything a curious trend I see among students of history is a desire to have items that are not dependent on a battery … I recommend this watch based on the quality of the workmanship, the unique look and style, and the great price…

The film follows Theodore Honey (James Stewart), a highly eccentric “boffin” with the Royal Aircraft Establishment. A widower with a precocious young daughter, Elspeth (Janette Scott), Honey is sent from Farnborough to investigate the crash of a “Reindeer” airliner in Labrador, which he theorizes occurred because of a structural failure in the tail caused by sudden metal fatigue. To test his theory in his laboratory, an airframe is continuously shaken in eight-hour daily cycles.

It isn’t until Honey is aboard a Reindeer that he realizes he himself is flying on one such aircraft and that it may be close to the number of hours his theory projects for the fatal failure. Despite the fact that his theory is not yet proven, Honey decides to warn the passengers and crew, including actress Monica Teasdale (Marlene Dietrich). After the Reindeer lands at Gander Airport an inspection clears it to continue on. He takes drastic action to stop the flight by raising the undercarriage while the aircraft is still on the ground, lowering the aircraft to its belly and damaging it. Shocked by the act, some people demand that he be declared insane to discredit his theory.
Teasdale and flight attendant Marjorie Corder (Glynis Johns) both take a liking for Honey and Elspeth, who is lonely and isolated from her schoolmates. Teasdale speaks on his behalf to his superiors, while Corder, seeing that he is decent but disorganized, decides to marry him.
During a hearing in which his sanity is questioned, Honey resigns but continues trying to prove that his mathematics are sound. In the laboratory, the time he predicted for failure passes without failure. The Reindeer he disabled is repaired, but after landing from a test flight the tail falls off. Shortly afterward, the same thing happens to the test frame in the lab, and Honey discovers that he failed to include temperature as a factor in his calculations.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. One man can make a difference, an invaluable lesson for boys to learn. This film depicts Jimmy Stewart as an innocent average American propelled into the position of a junior Senator by controlling powers from his state. The Crony Capitalists believe his naiveté can be used to force him to go along with their plans. Some points to bring out from the movie are: Not everything is as it appears, human nature being what is, evil people see no problem using you to get what they want, not everyone is like that, allies exist but not if you try to go it alone. Until Christ’s return we live in an imperfect world, but we are not to be transformed by it, rather we are to be the transformers. Be willing to spread the salt of truth, not everything works out as you might have imagined but everything works out for God’s greater purposes.

All original material copyright protected. viewers have the ability to use information only if they include the original source author and website. for example "Copied from Scott Williams' Blog www.UH1Pilot.com"